1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radio frequency (hereinafter referred to as RF) interferometer/Doppler target location system which is used to determine the location in space or track vehicles or targets, and to determine the velocity vectors of the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Present methods of locating and tracking vehicles or targets utilize active radar with tracking antennas, while Doppler radar is used to determine the relative velocity of the vehicle or targets. Attendant to these present methods are many disadvantages such as the requirement of high power radiation and large prime power. Further, short pulses, very high power, wide band width receivers, large monopulse antennas and complex signal processing are required for accurate location and tracking. This results in systems which are highly complex, with correspondingly high costs of manufacture. Radar is also very susceptible to antiradiation missiles and location systems.
The present invention ameliorates the aforesaid disadvantages of monopulse radar devices and provides an RF interferometer/Doppler target location system which requires lower prime power, which is not susceptible to anti-radiation missiles, which is much less complex, resulting in a much lower cost. Further, the nature of the system is such that very simple antennas may be used. The accuracy of the system being independent of the antenna beamwidth allows for much greater angle accuracy associated with fixed beamwidths and antenna scanning becomes unnecessary. Finally, the system can be easily constructed using a simple receiver of IF and/or Doppler amplifiers and a signal processor, without the necessity of monopulse hybrids.